Natioanal

New Delhi: In a major leap towards modern warfare, the Indian Army has begun raising 15–20 ‘Shaktibaan’ regiments, equipped with swarm drones, loitering munitions, and long-range unmanned aerial systems capable of striking enemy targets from 5 to 500 kilometres away. According to defence officials cited by ANI, these Shaktibaan regiments will be part of the Regiment of Artillery and are aimed at bridging a critical capability gap in long-range precision strikes. Initial units have already become operational. Part of Major Force Restructuring Plan The creation of Shaktibaan regiments is a key element of the large-scale force restructuring envisioned by Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi, designed to prepare the Army for the challenges of modern, technology-driven warfare. With t...

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday clarified that there is no bar on the Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla from constituting a committee to investigate allegations of corruption against Justice Yashwant Verma of the Allahabad High Court. The issue arose after the Rajya Sabha recently rejected a notice regarding the proposal to initiate such an inquiry. A bench comprising Justice Dipankar Dutta and Justice Satish Chandra Sharma expressed disagreement with senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, representing Justice Verma, who contended that following the resignation of Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar, the Deputy Chairman had no authority to reject the notice for initiating a motion to remove the judge. Supreme Court Flags ‘Procedural Gaps’ While delivering oral observations, th...

New Delhi: The delivery of Apache attack helicopters to India has once again come under the spotlight following recent remarks by former US President Donald Trump. While India has finally received all its Apache helicopters by December 2025, defence experts believe geopolitical factors—particularly Pakistan’s role—may have contributed to the delays. Trump recently claimed that India had ordered 68 Apache helicopters from the United States and that delivery delays had prompted Prime Minister Narendra Modi to raise concerns directly with him. However, this claim is factually incorrect. India ordered a total of 28 Apache helicopters, all of which have now been delivered. Why Apache Helicopters Are Crucial for India The renewed debate has brought attention to why Apache helicopters ar...

New Delhi: The Congress party has appointed senior observers for the upcoming assembly elections in five states and union territories: West Bengal, Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Puducherry. The appointments were made under the direction of Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge. According to a statement issued by the party’s Organisation General Secretary K.C. Venugopal, former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel and Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar have been assigned to oversee Assam, while Party General Secretary Sachin Pilot has been entrusted with responsibility for Kerala. State-wise Appointment of Observers Assam: Bhupesh Baghel, D.K. Shivakumar, and Bandhu Tirkey Kerala: Sachin Pilot, K.J. George, Imran Pratapgarhi, and Kanhaiya Kumar Tamil Nadu...

New Delhi: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has launched a sharp critique of both the BJP and Congress over recent local body elections in Maharashtra. AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal alleged that the BJP collaborated with Congress to defeat its own ally, the Shinde faction. According to AAP, the elections in Maharashtra reveal a striking political reality: parties that publicly present themselves as arch-rivals at the national level are willing to join hands at the local level for power. The case in point is the Ambernath Municipal Council in Thane district, where post-poll maneuvers saw BJP and Congress together oust the BJP’s alliance partner, the Shinde faction, from power. Kejriwal Questions BJP-Congress Alliance Kejriwal directly questioned the developments in Ambernath, twee...

New Delhi, January 7, 2026: External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar launched a pointed critique of Western nations’ approach toward India and South Asia during a meeting with the Indian community in Luxembourg. Speaking on the backdrop of Operation Sindoor, Jaishankar accused Western countries of double standards and hypocrisy. The minister highlighted that when violence occurs within Western countries, India does not intervene or comment, yet during India’s retaliatory measures against Pakistan under Operation Sindoor, several Western nations were quick to offer unsolicited advice and express concern. “Often Driven by Self-Interest”Addressing the gathering, Jaishankar said, “Countries far removed from South Asia often comment on sensitive issues without fully understanding the groun...

New Delhi, January 7, 2026: The Supreme Court of India held a crucial hearing on the issue of stray dogs and their growing presence in public spaces. During the hearing, the court raised concerns over the unpredictable behavior of stray dogs, with Justice Vikram Nath, Justice Sandeep Mehta, and Justice NV Anjaria stating that it is difficult to predict when a dog might become aggressive or bite someone. The court questioned the need for stray dogs to be present in sensitive areas like schools, hospitals, and courts, and asked whether there could be any objection to removing them from such places. The bench emphasized that it is challenging to understand a dog’s mood and warned that prevention is always better than cure when it comes to handling stray animals. Kapil Sibal’s ArgumentSe...

New Delhi, January 7, 2026: Northern and central India continue to shiver under the grip of a cold wave, with no relief in sight for the next 5 to 7 days. Many regions are also experiencing dense fog, disrupting daily life and traffic. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the morning hours over northwestern, central, and eastern India are expected to remain foggy and extremely cold. Several areas in Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh are witnessing severe cold conditions. Temperature Highlights In Ambikapur, Chhattisgarh, the minimum temperature dropped to 3.3°C. Srinagar recorded –1.6°C, while Sonamarg in central Kashmir experienced the coldest night at –10.1°C. Gulmarg recorded –7.6°C, Pahalgam at –...